Apparatus for packing fruit



NOV. 12, 1929. WEATHERLY 1,735,624

APPARATUS FOR PACKING FRUIT I Original Filed July 26, 1927 In yen Z502 John .1 WeaZ'heP Z y,

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 JOHN E. EATHE LYQoF cH ArrANooGa,mEit EssEE "arran es as mcxmq r m 1, App1ie'ation filedllul y as, 1927, Serial no. 268,525li ReiewerAtfii 5, 1 29. f j

"This "invention" relates to apparatus for I packing fruit or the "like.-

objecto f the lnvention is to provide apparatus whereby the fruit may-be readily and efficiently 'packed'and regularlyandevenly faced so as fto display it to the best advantage.

. Afurth'er object is to provide apparatus which is adapted" to permit ready invers on of'tli ejp'ackage oftruitfduring the packing and pressing ope'ratio'ns;

W Another ob 'ect" 'sto" nable "the' fruit to be facedifland' pressed'in the pack in faced i "-rThiefinventidii 'bination-"and arrangementpf parts herein condition." j g I v res des n the features, comin theclaims. o e V the accompanylng drawafterdescribed and particularlypointed out thi f ren e e 'l-islasidef elevation otthe apparatus @Figur w-itlr the basket in placethereon; e

Fig. 2 isa frontr view'ot theapparatus. 'Figff3v is I a view of the removable support.

1 is I the m in frame *or support of" the packer inthe upper end of whiclnas shown; at 2-; is pivoted or swiveled thebracket 2. The bracket 2 has laterally extending" arms 3 and -4E The outer' end-of arm '3 is provided with a'vertical bore 3 in which slides a'rod' 3' which carries aconcave 'fruit face former or covering member 5 at its lower end.

' The rod- 3- has secured thereto at its upper face farmer '5 againstrotary end, oneend of a coil spring lf, wh ch surrdunds the rod and bears atEits other end againstthe arm I 8; 7 Secured to the 1 facing remit is a verticallyextending ratchet meni-i her -6 which' -is adapted to cooperate with a pawl 7- whiclrisj pivotallymounted on the arm 3and yieldably held in engagement with the ra'tchetby spring- 8 secured to post '9" on the arm 3i The 'r'atohet 6 'beingsubs tantially an integral part-of the truit face former 5iby cooperating' with the pawl 7 holds the motion and arrests" it in its "vertical movement at any desired point. I

Mountedon the arm A is a basket support comprising curved arms 10, therebeiiig -pr'efe'rably-three'otthese arms extendlng from the arm 4 to either' side, and one eXe Themaln frame 1 is pl ovided'with bear a ings '11 and 12 near its base: Upon'the hear: ing 12 is pivotally supportedalever 13 which; is provided with a toothed -segment 13"*engaging atoothed segment14"'offa" aver-14 pivotally mounted onthebearing llwThe purpose of this interlocking toothed connec-'- tion is to'impart vertical movement to the outer end of-lever' 13;bymanipulation{of lever '14: forward or backward with respect toothepackingg apparatus; *That isfwhenthe 'lever14 is drawn-towardythefront of 5 the packer', the outer-Eend o f'leverT13; will rlsehr v v r 5 I p A- stop;15 i s cast integral withthe main frame =1; The stop-15 is so disposed in' its; relation to the-bracketQ as ;to' allow'thefend carryingfthearm i l to cle'arlthe stop when the packer isturned or reversed, ,but-arresting the longer end of -the;-bracket 2 carrying the fruitflface} formeig when; the packer so is reversed soitha't thestem 'or-rod 3 "of the fruit faee former will stop directly above the outer end of the -lever 13. f" --1 6-is an o'rdinary-rttrui't basket upon-the upper end or rim of which is placed a facer',

' ring 11? whiohis providedwith brackethandle r engaging cam l8 which arewedge shaped as shown in 'F-ig.2,f and whiohare adapted to be inserted within the handlesf I A steelbottom oritruit' support}20, shown so in plan viewin Fig. 3, forms the 'bott'om Q for the f-a'cer ring 17 ,and 'isslightly larger' indiameter 'thanthe outside diameter of the basket" and rests'on the basket. Asshown I iaFig; 3th'e support 20 is provided with 'as s'lots 20"fadaptedto'receive the basket han dles and to lock tl'iem' after the handles have engaged the cams 18. f El -isi'saccomplished by sliding the bottom 20 endwise after the 5 cams--18have engaged the basket handles.

The operation of the apparatus is asfollows: The basket 16 is first filled with fruit to within a short distance of its top, just enough space being left for the final or top layer of fruit, p

In case there is a rush of fruit from the grader in excess ofwhat the packer is capable of handling, the baskets canrbe' par- 7 tially filled and set aside until such time as the packer is able to face and pack them.

In packing, the ifacingvrin 17 with its fruit in the partially filled basket will besubstantially on alevel with the dotted line" bottom 20 can be placed onthe partially as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. This op-j eration is readilyperformedby pressing with the on the fruit face former, the spring 4 yieldingreadily to any downward force in e cess oftheweight of. the fruit face former and its stern, That is, the spring is only ade stron enough to support thefruit face former its stem y I When the fruitface former has been forced down until .itreaches the point shown indotv ted lines in Fig. 1 owing to thefact that the 'bottomof the, basket is resting on the basket support formedbythe arms and is held centrally by these arms and the further fact that the face-former is resting on the faced fruit within the ring 17 and the fruit in turn is resting on the steel bottom QO and the steel bottom 20 in turn is resting on the top of the basket the faced fruit within thering l7 and the partially filled basket lG are all lieldrigidly in positionthe packer by virtue of the pawl 7 engaging the-teeth of the ratchet 6.

,At this stageof operation the top of the a, just below theyunderside of the bottom plate 20.

When this stage in the operation has been .reached the operator reverses the pack byr'otat-ing the bracket 2 on its pivot 2 until the upper end of the bracket'2 strikes the stop on the main framel, thus arresting the packer with the partially filled basket in an 7 inverted position with the end ofitheistem of the'fruit face former directly above the. outer endof the lever 13 and when in this position to a the layer'of faced fruit previously resting on 'the'plate drops down within the fruit face former 5 thereby imparting a convex'surface tothe jfaced fruit which previously, rested on the bottom -plate'20'. On the 'otherhancl the fruitin the partially filled basket previously resting on the bottom of the basket drops a down and comes to rest on the bottom of the steel bottom plate 20; yAt this stage in the 7 operation the bottom plate 20 lSWltlldI'ilWIl by pulling it forward from the pack, thereby;

allowing thefruit within the basket to drop on to the-faced'and formed fruitwithin the concave fa'ce former. The I operator then reaches backand grasps the top of the hand lever 14' and draws it forward forcing the now faced and cone forined fruit backup into the basket, making a tight even pack. 'The-handlever is then released, the packer" rotatedback into itsnormal-position, the

fruit face former released by disengaging the pawl 7, the basket removed from the packer, the facing ring 17 disengagedlfromi the handles of the basket andremoved from the basket andtthe pack, is'eomple te ready for the top a) be fastened inmplate.

It can readily be seen from the foregoing that there'are many advantages inherentin thispacker. In the first place theba'sfkets can be filled during rush periods .andfaced and pressed afterwards-J In the next place because the packer is self-contained and the has ket' held centrally tothe fruit face former and when reversed the fruit in thetbasket is dropped down onto the faced fruit within the face former and afterwards ressed backup into position in the basket, t e fruit always presents a uniform appearance. Again the hand leverand its connections constitute a press for pressing the fruit into the pack. Again the necessity for a basket turner is eliminated and because of the location ofthe t swivel bearing the labor of turning the; fruit,

is reduced to aminimum; b I I The invention is not llmited to the particular arrangement shown and many changes may be ,madewithin the scope of the inven-';

tion. For example; the lever13 may be as readily operated from lever 14 by 'means'of suitably placed bell cranks, and the connec- 'tion' may be so made that pushing the lever 14 away from the packer will cause the outer end of lever 13 to rise, which is the reverse action to that of the structure shown.

I claim:

-1. A fruit'basket packing devicecompris ing a support, a fruit basket supporting bracket pivotally mounted on said supporga. facing form having a stem; slidably and ad uStably mountedjin'sa-igl bracket and normally disposed above the filled basket to engagefruit carried by thejbasketftoface and hold the fruit uponinversion "of the basket and bracket about said pivot.

2. In apparatus according to vclaim; :1;

pressing means adapted to cooperate withg sa dstem to inverted.

7 3. A fruit basket packing device compris ing asupport a U-shaped bracket eccentrically pivoted to said support fe nm press the pack while the basketis movement, a fruit basket support mounted on one arm of thebracket and a facing form having a stem slidably and adjustably mounted in the other arm ofthe bracket and normally disposed above the filled basket and adapted to engage fruit carried by the basket to face and hold the fruit in the basket upon inversion of the basket and bracket about said pivot.

4. A fruit basket packing device comprising a support, a U-shaped bracket eccentrically pivoted to said support for rotary movement, a fruit basket support mounted on the shorter arm of the bracket and a facing form having a stem slidably and adjustably mounted in the longer arm of the bracket, and adapted to engage fruit carried by the basket to face and hold the fruit in the basket ,upon inversion of the basket and bracket about said pivot, and pressing means adapted to cooperate with said stem'to press the pack when the basket is inverted.

5. Inapparatus accordingto claim 4, a stop mounted on said main support and adapted to clear the shorter arm of the bracket and to engagethe longer arm of-the bracket upon inversion of the pack to aline the said stem with the pressing means.

' 6. A fruit basket packing device comprising a support, a fruit basket supporting bracket pivotally mounted on said support, a facing form having a stem slidably and adjustably mounted in said bracket and movable toward or away from the upper end-of the basket, a facer ring adapted to be mounted on the upper rim of the basket, said facer ring having projections adapted to extend through the handles of the basket, a removable bottom for said facer ring, adapted to rest upon and close the open upper end of the basket, said bottom having slots to receive the handles of the basket and to clamp them in engagement with the facei' ring, saidfacing form being adapted to engage fruit on the removable bottom to face the fruit and hold the pack upon inversion of the basket and bracket about said pivot. o

7 In apparatus according to claim 6, said removable bottom being adapted to be removed after inversion of the basket, and pressing means adapted to cooperate with said stem to press the pack while the basket is inverted. 8. A fruit basket packingdevice comprising a main support, a U-shaped bracket ec centrically pivoted to'said support for rotary movement thereon, a fruit basket support mounted on one arm of the bracket and a'facing form having a stem slidably and adjustably mounted in the other arm of the bracket and movable toward or away from the upper end of the basket, a facer ring adapted to be mounted on the upper rim of the basket, said facer ring having projections adapted to extend through the handles of the basket; -a"ireinovable bottoin f-or saia faasa ringadaptedto rest 'uponand close the per end-ofthe basket, said: bottom having slots to receive the handles ofthebasket and to clamp them in engagement with the (facer ring, :said facing form beingadapted to en gage fruit I on ,i the removable bottom ito. face the fruit and holdthe pack upon inversion-bf the basket and bracket about said'pivot,saidremovable bottom being :adapted' .to 'bel removed after inversion 'ofl the basketfandl pressingmeans comprising levers' adapted to cooperate: with said stem-to 9. Inapparatusiaccordmg toclaimi8,

bracket 1 having a longer armwcarrying;

ress the pack -while the baSket-isinverted.

the facing form and a shorter arm car'ry ing the basketsupport, and a stop on said: main support adapted f to 'clear the shorter arm of the obracketnut .tbiifgage the longer arm upon inversion of the pack to aline the said stem with the pressing means.

10. A fruit basket packing device comprising a support, a basket holding and covering bracket, pivotally mounted on said support whereby the basket may be inverted, adjust-v able means on said bracket for covering the ioo prising a ring'shapedmember adapted to be placed at the top of the basket and having a removable slidable bottom on which facing fruit may be placed, a facing form to be placed at the top of said ring,'means'for holding the basket with the ring shaped member and facing form assembled therewith and for reversing said basket with said assembled parts whereby upon removal of said sliding bottom the fruit in the basket and that held the ring and facing form Will come together-, v

substantially as described.

12. A fruit packing apparatus according v to claim 11 having means for forcing the facing form upwardly in relation to the inverted basket to force the. layer of facing fruit together with the body of fruit in the basket,

upwardly towards the bottom of saidinverted basket, substantially as described. 7

13. A fruit basket packing apparatus comprising a facing fruit support adapted to be placed at the top of the basket, said support a being adapted for removal laterally of the basket, a facing form adapted to be placed in contact with the fruit on said support, means 7 for holding the basket with the support and facing form assembled therewith and for re- 7 i I versing said basket with said assembled parts whereby upon removal of said support, the

' end' of the basketymeans fo ri'su'pperting' thefacing form, a'faeing ring to connect with the edge of the basket, and a slide carried by saidin the basketjand that held bythe sup portend facingform will come together.

-' 14. A gfruitbasket pa cking apparatus 210- cording-[t0 claim 13,,having means forfore ing the facing. form upwardly in relation to the invertedbasket to force the layer; offac: ing'fruittogethef with the" body of fruit in; the baskettlipwardly'towards the bottom of said invertedbas ket. v V 15. A fruit basket packing apparatus (fourprisingtin combination, arba'sket support.

moimtedto be invertedIwith the basket, a face ilig formmovable towards and from therepen facing ring to cover the openyend of the basket. i In testimony whereof, I 'aflix mysignature. JOHN-F; WEATHERLY; 

